*French President, Macron, calls for halt to arms deliveries to Israel
Thousands of people gathered over the weekend for the first emotional commemorations marking the anniversary of Palestinian militant group Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.The first candlelight vigils, memorials and marches to mark the anniversary were held in cities ranging from Tel Aviv to London, Paris and Berlin, with more set to be held around the world on Monday (today).
In Tel Aviv, friends and relatives of the 370 people killed in the massacre at the Nova dance festival held a candlelight vigil Sunday evening at a concert hall.Against a backdrop of neon lights and music, they lit candles for their loved ones and embraced, newswire, AFP reported.In London, thousands gathered in Hyde Park, waving Israeli flags and “bring them home” placards with faces of the hostages still held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
Photos of those killed on October 7 were shown on a big screen as attendees lit candles in their honour.“We want to remember the people who have been brutally murdered and we want the world to remember,” Henry Grunwald, chair of the organising committee, told AFP.Mandy Damari, whose daughter Emily was one of the 251 people taken hostage by Hamas, said her daughter was “full of life”.“I need to hug her again and I need to see her smile”, she said, on the verge of tears.
In Berlin, around 650 people attended a commemoration. Police said they had detained 26 people who shouted insults at participants.In Paris, thousands of people gathered on Sunday to remember the victims of the attack.“We’re here in support of Israel, the Israeli people, in memory of those who were killed and for those who were kidnapped” that day, Robert Zbili, the president of the National Jewish Fund, told AFP.
In Geneva, 300 people gathered on Sunday evening in front of the UN offices there for a tribute.But in a video message and a post on X, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Daniel Meron, denounced the organisation for having failed to “pass a resolution holding Hamas and its supporters responsible”.The build-up to the anniversary has been marked by soaring tension, with fears the ongoing conflict could spiral into a wider war.The October 7 attack resulted in the death of 1,205 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, which includes hostages killed in captivity.
Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,870 people in the Gaza Strip, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the territory’s health ministry and described as reliable by the United Nations.In a statement late Sunday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “One year on from these horrific attacks we must unequivocally stand with the Jewish community and unite as a country. “We must never look the other way in the face of hate.”
He also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, and for a free flow of aid into Gaza.“We must also not look the other way as civilians bear the ongoing dire consequences of this conflict in the Middle East.”More memorials are planned for today, including an expected outpouring of emotion in Israel itself.Besides the official ceremony in Jerusalem, President Isaac Herzog will lead a memorial at daybreak in Sderot, the closest Israeli city to Gaza, to mark the moment it came under attack 12 months ago.
More than 50 people were killed in Sderot, either by Hamas gunmen or by the barrage of Hamas rockets.There will also be a rally at Kibbutz Be’eri, where more 120 people were killed in the assault, calling for the return of the remaining hostages.In Tel Aviv, relatives of hostages and their supporters will hold a rally calling for a ceasefire.In the United States, where the events of October 7 have been swept up in the divisive race for next month’s elections, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump is due to mark the anniversary at a “Remembrance Event” in Miami organised by Jewish community leaders. There will also be a vigil outside the White House for the Israeli hostages.
Many cities have also seen pro-Palestinian protests marking the anniversary with calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon and condemnation of Israel’s military campaign.Meanwhile, French President, Emmanuel Macron, at the weekend called for a halt on arms deliveries to Israel for use in Gaza , prompting swift criticism from Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Macron told France Inter radio that “the priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza”, BBC reported.At a summit in Paris, the French president reiterated his concern over the conflict in Gaza continuing despite ceasefire calls, and he also criticised Israel’s decision to send ground troops into Lebanon.
Netanyahu quickly pushed back but during a telephone call between the two leaders on Sunday, Macron reiterated France’s “unwavering commitment” to Israel.In a video earlier released by his office, Netanyahu said “Israel will win with or without their support”, adding that calling for an arms embargo was “a disgrace”.“Shame on them,” he said, referring to Macron and other Western leaders who have called for what he described as an arms embargo on Israel.
Macron, in an interview with the French broadcaster which was recorded on Tuesday and aired on Saturday, said “France is not delivering any” weapons to Israel.He added: “I think we are not being heard. “I think it is a mistake, including for the security of Israel,” he said, adding that the conflict was leading to “hatred”.Macron also said that avoiding an escalation in Lebanon was a “priority” and that “Lebanon cannot become a new Gaza”.
Netanyahu’s office responded by saying that any country that did not stand with Israel was supporting Iran and its allies and proxies.Netanyahu said: “As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilised countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side.“Yet, President Macron and other Western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel. Shame on them.”Macron’s office later said that France is a “steadfast friend of Israel”, adding that Netanyahu’s reaction was “excessive and detached from the friendship between France and Israel”.Speaking in Paris at the weekend, Macron said that while both the US and France had called for a ceasefire in Lebanon, “I regret that Prime Minister Netanyahu has made another choice, has taken this responsibility, in particular, for ground operations on Lebanese soil.”However, Macron reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defence and said that he would be meeting relatives of Franco-Israelis held hostage in Gaza on Monday.During a telephone conversation on Sunday, Netanyahu told the French President that Israel’s fight against the Hezbollah group would help “change the reality” in Lebanon and bring stability to the entire Middle East, a statement from his office said.“Israel’s friends are expected to stand behind it, and not impose restrictions on it that will only strengthen the Iranian axis of evil,” Netanyahu was reported to have said during their call.
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